


a partially-oiled machine

by onceuponamoon



Series: abo jt/ebs [5]
Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Canada Day, Family, Fireworks, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-24
Updated: 2018-03-24
Packaged: 2019-04-07 12:59:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14081451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onceuponamoon/pseuds/onceuponamoon
Summary: “Why’d I let you talk me into eight kids?” John asks Jordan, grabbing a multipack of toothbrushes from the shelf and tossing it into the cart.  “Remember when we used to just be able to ‘run to the store’ for something?”Jordan snorts, scent bright and pleased even amidst all the chaos.  “Because you love me.”





	a partially-oiled machine

**Author's Note:**

> sooooooo i just really love this pairing and all of these babies????
> 
>  **also please note:** some real members of JT's family are mentioned in this fic, so if you're not a fan of that, it's best to skip this one.

**July 2028**

 

There’s always a distinct feeling in the days leading up to the first of July -- something like anticipation, but _more_. When scenting the air, everyone just smells happy, even the strangers they encounter in passing. 

Going to the grocery store is always a gamble, especially in Mississauga, but Matty, Addie, and Nico are happy enough to take turns pushing the triplets’ stroller while the others help John systematically pick groceries from the shelves or keep an eye on the twins. It’s a lot easier now that it’s summertime and Jordan’s there to wrangle everyone or manage making sure everything on their list is accounted for, but it’s even better now with his mom joining in on the fun.

“Why’d I let you talk me into eight kids?” John asks Jordan, grabbing a multipack of toothbrushes from the shelf and tossing it into the cart. “Remember when we used to just be able to ‘run to the store’ for something?”

Jordan snorts, scent bright and pleased even amidst all the chaos. “Because you love me.”

“Yeah,” John says slyly, adding in a three-pack of kid’s toothpaste that’ll probably be used up in a month, “I guess there’s that.”

They gather up enough hamburger meat, hotdogs, and steaks to feed an army of hungry Canadians and then finally load everything and everyone back up into the trucks.

It’s a sweltering eighty-six degrees by the time they make it back to John’s parents’ house, the sun at its highest point, and before Jordan’s even parked the Suburban, the triplets are tearing out of his mom’s van and hopping impatiently next to it. Matty’s shaking Nico and Addie’s running in tight little circles while John’s mom laughs, handing a bag to each of them.

“DADDY, _PAPAI_ ,” Matty yells as soon as John unbuckles, “ _BABCIA_ SAID WE COULD GO SWIMMING IF YOU SAID YES. CAN WE GO SWIMMING PLEASE?”

The other two chime in, yell-begging just as loud while bouncing in place. 

John quirks an eyebrow at Jordan, who shrugs before he finishes unfastening Han from her carseat. Her face is all creased up and her pigtails have come mostly undone; she blinks sleepily, eyebrows furrowed as she stares at Jordan. 

“Finish helping _Babcia_ with the groceries and then we’ll talk,” John ultimately decides.

He gets still-sleeping Hallie passed off to Jordan and then gets to work on the babies. At this point, he’s got a system that works like a partially-oiled machine -- it clangs a little, fusses some, but get the job done in the end. It’s much easier with Jordan’s help, but sometimes he gets distracted with one of the other kids so -- John yells, “Jordan,” because he really doesn’t want to have to get the stroller out.

Jordan accepts Noé and then Karina, blossoming a heady helping contentedness as he scents their chubby little cheeks on his way indoors. 

That leaves John with Tiago, his littlest alpha, who’s got his tiny brows furrowed and chin crumpled at the prospect of being without his omegas. 

“Oh, hush, grumpy,” John says softly as he finally gets his last baby out of the car. “You’ll see them in two minutes.” He tucks him into his chest, using just one arm beneath his bottom as he shuts the door with his backside, uses the key fob to lock it. Ti immediately shoves his face into the crook of John’s neck and clutches at his shirt.

When he gets inside, Jordan’s settling Noé into his bouncer and has Kari on the changing mat with Addie keeping her occupied. John can hear Nico talking to Han and Hallie in the den with Dad, can hear Matty in the kitchen with Mom, probably trying to persuade her into giving him a snack. 

“See, look,” John says to Ti, “Daddy’s just gonna change Kari and then he’ll change _you_.” He pulls a grin when Jordan fixes John with an unimpressed look over the top of Addie’s head. “Then you get to play with _Vovô_.” 

The noise level’s always at a constant ten nowadays, but John just reminds himself that in fifteen short hours he’ll be on his way to the airport with Jordan, prepping for a nice, peaceful week in Bali. They’ll just need to swing by to get their luggage from the summer house and then they’ll be _set_. Nothing but sandy beaches and gorgeous temples, an effusive peace and quiet that they probably haven’t experienced since their _last_ vacation back before the twins were even a blip on the radar in 2024.

God, they’d still been high off the Cup win and John had -- they’d had a bet, so John had ditched the birth control and they’d spent a borderline wild week together in Cancún. It hadn’t resulted in anything, but. It was a lot of fun.

Jordan looks up, quirking a brow again, clearly catching wind of John’s scent.

He holds his hands out for Tiago, grinning hugely when Tiago squeals and tries to slap at his face.

John wanders into the kitchen for water and --

“ _Papai_ ,” Matty says around a mouthful of carrot, “I helped _Babcia_ like you asked. Can we go swimming now?”

John wants to nap, wants to maybe make-out with his alpha for a little bit, but -- 

Mom sighs, smiling. “I can read my book on the back porch, I suppose,” she says, eyes twinkling.

“Thanks, Ma,” he says, leaning in to press a kiss to her cheek. 

 

Later, once the kids have dried off and Jordan and John have applied aloe to the pink cheeks and shoulders of their seven-year-olds, John’s dad finally fires up the grill. John helps him, of course, and they chat about flight details, the kids’ sleeping habits, John’s sisters who should be arriving any minute with their families.

Hallie appears a few minutes later at the screen door, face pressed against it until John notices, laughs, and goes to let her outside. “Whatcha doin’, silly girl?”

Sometimes it’s a little hard to parse through her words, but she’s only two and communication can definitely be taken care of through scents. “Want _papai_ ,” is the gist of what she says, clutching at his shirt as he picks her up. She shoves her face into his neck and rumbles out a purr.

Not too long after, the house descends into chaos -- Babs and her family arrive in a whirlwind of loud blond alphas and then Laura makes it in, only one baby omega in tow.

They all convene outside on the patio, spilling into the yard and around the firepit once Laura's husband makes it in with their other two kids. Dad loads up everyone’s plates and Jordan finally manages to make his way over to sit with John, Han in his arm. She perks up when she sees him and wiggles her way out of his lap once he sits down.

Jordan smells a little dejected about it but John laughs and his scent brightens right back up.

He leans in to press a kiss behind John’s ear, scooting in close to shoo away the twins trying to pick at the remnants of a kebab on John’s plate. Han purrs when she gets a strip of jalapeño, smacking her lips.

“I’ll never understand that,” Jordan points out around a huge bite of a hotdog.

“Jalapeños aren’t even that hot, Jordan.”

Jordan sighs and hand-feeds Hallie a stray strip of onion. 

Noise kicks up closer to the house and John has to squint against the sunset to make out the way Matty’s running around with two of his cousins and then -- one of them knocks the other into the pool and -- John sighs, but he’s glad when Matty runs over to him, insisting that he had nothing to do with it. 

Bee’s getting onto her kids, but everyone else is laughing, even though now they’ve got a wet, grumpy alpha kid on their hands.

Things settle down for a while, a lull of full bellies and good conversation, but then it finally gets dark enough for John’s dad to suggest that, “Hmm, maybe it’s time for fireworks, eh?” The kids all yell and cheer and bounce around, thrilled at the prospect of blowing things up and painting the sky reds and silvers and blues.

John and Jordan lead Hallie and Han over to one of the blankets that Mom sets out, and Bee and Laura and one of Bee’s kids bring over the babies, drowsy and full and putting off the most content pheromones. Jordan accepts Tiago and John puts Noé on one knee and Karina on the other. Addie and Nico meander over to join them, taking charge of the twins as they’re wont to do, but Matty sticks close to Dad, clearly trying to get his hand on one of the lighter sticks that the other adults are passing around.

Karina says, “ _Papapapa_ ,” and John presses a million kisses into her wispy blonde hair. From the way Jordan’s grinning at him, he knows his scent’s gone supernova bright.

At the first explosion and the loud, “Happy Canada Day!” exclamations from their cousins, Karina and Noé both startle, trying to wildly clutch at John who just laughs and cuddles them close. It’s a whistle, a loud boom, a crackle -- shimmers of red lighting up the sky above them. John tries to put off a soothing, excited scent, showing them that there’s nothing to be afraid of. “Look,” he says, “See, there are lots of pretty colors.”

There’s a burst of surprised laughter coming from Jordan, his scent going full and round like an entire orchard of apples.

“Johnny,” Jordan says, shoulders still bouncing with laughter, “Johnny listen, listen, listen. Listen to Ti at the next one.”

Sure enough, the next firework goes off and Tiago’s brows furrow and he snarls -- John can’t actually hear it, but he can feel that Tiago’s growling. Jordan’s laughing, eyes crinkling at the corners. “That’s my _boy!_ ” Jordan crows.

Matty comes over at the commotion and at the next explosion, Tiago growls and they growl with him -- Jordan and Matty and Addie.

Tiago looks at them, wide-eyed with surprise, and then he growls again, grinning right after. It goes on and on and -- Ti lets loose a happy shriek that ends in an unintelligible babble as he slaps at the air; John bounces Karina and Noé on his legs, watching his happy family indulge their littlest alpha. 

John never would’ve thought that an eight-month-old could look smug, but once the fireworks stop, Tiago preens as though he single-handedly warned away a threat to his family.

**Author's Note:**

> [prompts are welcome](http://onceuponamoonfic.tumblr.com)!!!!!!


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